Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888-1964)

Awarded the Prize “for his deep understanding of his ry’s peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature.”

Finnish writer. Sillanpää was born on September 16, 1888 in the Hameenkyo, Finland. Although poor, the family saved money to support him attending secondary school. In 1908, a benefactor helped him to enter the University of Helsinki to study biology, but his studies were as chaotic as they were long drawn-out. Five years later he withdrew from the university and returned to home, devoting himself to writing. In 1936, the University of Helsinki conferred on Sillanpää an honorary doctorate. Sillanpää died on June 3, 1964 in Helsinki.
Major Works:
Life and Sun (1916); Hiltu and Ragnar (1923); About my Own and to my Own (1924); Shanty Hill (1925); Thanks for the Moments, Lord... (1930); The Maid Silja (1931)